New Delhi: Amid reports of internal differences within the Congress, party MP Shashi Tharoor met party president Mallikarjun Kharge and former president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday and said that everything was “fine” and that he stood united with the party leadership.
The meeting, held in Kharge’s chamber, lasted for over an hour. Sources said Congress general secretary K C Venugopal was also present during the discussions.
Speaking after the meeting, Tharoor said the talks were constructive and positive. “Everything is fine. We are united with the party leadership,” he said. Tharoor also made it clear that he was not interested in contesting for any organisational post. “I am already an MP and I have the trust of my voters. My responsibility is to represent their interests in Parliament,” he said.
The meeting came days after Tharoor skipped a key Congress political meeting related to the Kerala Assembly elections. According to sources, his absence was linked to his dissatisfaction over what he saw as attempts by some state leaders to sideline him and a perceived lack of acknowledgment from the party’s central leadership.
People close to Tharoor said that during an event in Kochi on January 19, Rahul Gandhi named several senior leaders present on the stage but did not mention Tharoor, which added to his discomfort. They also said similar instances in the past had contributed to his unease within the party’s state unit.
Tharoor had also faced criticism within the Congress last year over his remarks on India-Pakistan relations and diplomatic engagement following the Pahalgam attack. His comments were seen by some leaders as differing from the party’s official stand, leading to questions about his intent.
However, Tharoor has consistently maintained that there is no fundamental difference in his views, stating that foreign policy should be approached in a bipartisan manner.
Meanwhile, Kharge also chaired an important meeting with Congress leaders from Kerala to review and fine-tune the party’s strategy for the upcoming Assembly elections.
